Flexible connection



y 1 1936. A. c. HOLLATZ 2,047,904

FLEXIBLE CONNECT I 0N Filed Nov. 21, 1934 INVENTOR. flRTf/l/R C. HOLLHTZ A TTORNE Y.

Patented Jul 14, 1936 PATENT OFFICE FLEXIBLE common Arthur G. Hollatz, Bloomington, Ill., assignor to Williams Oil-O-Matic Heating C orporation,

Bloomington, llL, a corporation of Illinois Application November 21, 1934, Serial No. 154,069 6 Claims. (Cl. 285-90) This invention relates to improvements in flexible connections and more particularly to a flexible connection which may also be employed as a resilient support.

6 It is an object of this invention to provide a device of this character which is simple and durable, and which may be readily used either as a supporting medium for one of the parts to which the connection is'applied, or may be employed l merely to flexibly connect and form a means of communication between two conduits.

With these and other objects in view, reference is made to the accompanying sheet of drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of this 15 invention with the understanding that detail changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation with parts 20 broken away illustrating one embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary enlarged detail view partly in vertical central section and partly in elevation of the flexible connection and support 25 illustrated in Figure 1.

The embodiment of this invention illustrated in Figure 1 includes a compressor I having a direct drive 2 to an electric motor 3 which is mounted upon a base or support 4. The particular com- 30 pressor l is adapted for compressing the refrigerant gas employed in a compression type of refrigerating apparatus including a forced feed lubricating system to lubricate the moving parts of the compressor in which the lubricant collect- 35 ing at the bottom of the crank casing of the compressor l drains therefrom into a lubricant sump from which it is returned to the system by a lubricant pump. Such a lubricant sump and lubricating system are employed upon a commer- 40 cial refrigerating apparatus, and as the subject matter of this invention relates to only the connection between the compressor crank case and the lubricant sump, it is thought that theabove general description is suflicient to the under- 45 standing of this invention.

, Ina device of the character above described, it

iscustomary to mount the electric motor 3 upon some means interposed between it and the base 4 for absorbing the vibration when the motor is 50 operated, and as the compressor is connected directly to the driving shaft of the motor, as by the connection 2, it is also necessary to provide a resilient support between the compressor and the supporting base 4 to absorb the vibrations of 55 the compressor. This invention contemplates the provision of a combined flexible connection between the bottom of the crank case of the compressor l and the lubricant sump 5, and a resilient support for the compressor.

In carrying out this invention, it is preferable 5 to provide the bottom of the crank case of the compressor I with a central removable closure 6, as illustrated in Figure 2, although the crank case may be formed integral so that the bottom is of the same general configuration as the 010- sure plate 6, with the lowest portion thereof provided with a drain or opening 1. It is also preferable to provide the upper portion of the lubricant sump 5 with an upstanding exteriorly, flanged member 8 having a passageway 9 therethrough preferably similar to the aperture 1 of the compressor crank case and concentric there-.- with adapted to be placed in communication with the interior of the crank case of the compressor I by the hereinafter described flexible connection. The improved flexible connection includes two spaced-apart plates l0 and II centrally perforated to form concentric apertures l2 and I3 of the same diameter as the apertures l and 9 to receive the opposite ends of a cylindrical metallic 5 expansible and contractible bellows member l4 whose ends [4 are secured to said plates as by spinning the metal of the exterior terminations over the exterior edges of the apertures I2 and I3 of the plates l0 and H, or by any other desired means. It is preferable to cast caoutchouc or other moldable resilient composition in cylindrical form concentric with and about the exterior of the metallic bellows l4 between'the plates I0 and II to form a column l5 of resilient material between the two plates, which is preferably reinforced by metallic cylindrical strap "5 of less width than the distance between the plates 10 and II to maintain the cylindrical formation of the resilient material. As shown in Figure 2, 40 the plate In is secured to the under side of the closure 6 by hexagon head cap screws H with the aperture 1 registering with the bellows [4. The base 4 is provided with a circular aperture l8 adapted to receive and be spaced apart from the flange 19 of the member 8 carried by and communicating with the oil sump 5. The plate II is bolted to the flange IS with the aperture 9 registering with the bellows l4. The plate Ii is of greater diameter than the aperture l8 and rests upon the upper side of the base 4 and is preferably secured thereto by cap screws 20 while the flange I9 is secured to the plate II by bolts 2|. In the commercial device, it is customary to support the oil sump by straps 22 secured to and depending from the under side of the base 4.

From the above description, it is readily seen that the bellows I4 forms a means of communication between the interior of the crank case of the compressor l and the lubricant sump 5 by the bellows member I 4 forming a flexible connection between the two. The surrounding column ii of the resilient material being interposed between the bottomof the crank case of the compressor I and the upper side of the base 4 not only strengthens the flexible connection formed by the bellows H, but also forms a shock absorber adapted to receive and absorb the vibration caused by the operation of the compressor.

It is tov be noted that'the embedding of the bellows member l4 entirely within the resilient material not only allows the bellows member to compress and expand, as well as to flex, but also provides a reinforcing means for the exterior of the flexible portions of the bellows, whereby a flexible connection is provided which is adapted to withstand high internal pressures. Such a connection is adapted to form flexible connec-' tions in high pressure pipe lines by securing the plates l0 and II of the construction illustrated in Figure 2 to the flanges usually provided on the ends of the pipes.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a base having an aperture, a hollow body rigidly supported upon the under side thereof, and a hollow vibrating body positioned thereabove, of a combined flexible connection between the interiors of said bodies and a resilient support for the vibrating body,

including a cylindrical metallic bellows secured in rounded by a reinforcing body of resilient material interposed between the vibrating body and base adapted to allow the bellows to expand and contract and also absorb the vibrations of the supported body.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein'the ends of the bellows extend through and are secured to attaching plates, one secured to the vibrating bodyand the other to the base and rigid body.

3. The structure of claim 1, wherein the resilient material is in the form of a cylindrical col umn concentric with the bellows.

4. The structure of claim 1, wherein the ends of the bellows extend through and are secured to attaching plates, one secured to the vibrating body and the other to the base and rigid body, and wherein the body of resilient material is interposed between the said attaching plates.

5. The structure of claim 1, wherein the ends of the bellows extend through and are secured to attaching plates, one secured to the vibrating body and the other to the base and rigid body, and wherein the resilient material is in theform of a cylindrical column concentric with the bellows, with the respective ends engaging the adjacent surfaces of the respective attaching plates.

6. The structure of claim 1, wherein the ends of the bellows extend through and are secured to the attaching plates with one of said plates secured to the vibrating body and the other to the base and rigid body, and wherein the resilient material is in the form of a cylindrical column concentric with the bellows, with the respective ends thereof engaging the adjacent surfaces of the respective attaching plates, and its exterior surrounded by a restraining strap of less width than the distance between said plates.

ARTHUR 0. HOLLATZ. 

